Kingfish Shiraz

I was lucky enough to be introduced to this wine by my roommate. Harvested in the hills of sunny California, Kingfish Shiraz has to be one of the tastiest reds I have ever drank. Start to finish this wine is smooth. With its mellow tannins and nice nutty finish, this wine will have you drooling for more. I could drink an entire bottle of this and not even realize it, it's that good. Holy moly! I'd easily pay ten bones for this, yet it only cost me $4.69. The label is nice and artsy. Not too flashy but not too impressive. All in all I'd have to say that this is one of my favorite wines I have tried. I suggest buying at least two bottles of this, because when it's done and you have to fall back on that dreadful two buck chuck, you are not going to be a happy camper.

RATING: 7 of 7 Radness points
LABEL: 4 of 7 Radness points
PRICE: $4.69
REGION: California
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Haggen

Sundial Cabernet Souvignon

My roommate had found this interesting wine from the depths of the Bellingham Grocery Outlet in Bellingham, WA. for $3.99. Not too bad... From a shallow point of view, this wine looks pretty good. Nice label, simple 3-tone graphic with a cool logo. The name also makes this wine intriguing; Sundial. The wine however is nothing to write home about. The flavor doesn't really jump out at ya, while the tannins do; overcompensating the integrity of the wine. It is mellow, like a cab should be I guess. Listen to me, it sounds like I know a lot about wine. Truth is, I'm no expert. I enjoy drinking wine. I do find some wine reviews to be a little pretentious. If my reviews ever sound pretentious (my title aside) then comment and call me out. Back to Sundial. I liked it. It did help me to overcome a rough hangover. Plus, it tasted pretty damn good alongside Andy's chicken broccoli stir fry, with Ween providing the background music.

Cheers to a Friday night...

-Carouser

RATING: 3 of 7 Radness points
LABEL: 6 of 7 Radness points
PRICE: $3.99
REGION: California
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Bellingham Grocery Outlet

Mattie's Perch Shiraz

"Ripper!"

Need I say more? The label right off the bad caught my eye. A trippy lookin' koala bear perched on a branch with the quotation "Ripper!". Or as the Australians might say, Rippah! The label is top notch. Black on yellow with a recognizable Australian icon. It's a no brainer when you see the label and the price of $3.29 at your local Haggen. Haggen is Bellingham, Washington's high end, trendy, yuppyish grocer. Not quite as yuppy as a Trader Joe's, but it's close. Anyways, while perusing through the meat section they had displayed Mattie's Perch Shiraz at a nice little price. I picked up, loved it, and bought probably six more bottles since then. It has a nice poppin' kind of flavor once it hits your tongue. The tannins are mellow yet the aftertaste has a slight zip that leaves you thirsting for more goodness. Buy a bottle of this, enjoy with a partner, or just pound the whole bottle to your face. It's pretty simple. This wine is in fact cheap at its sale price, and it tastes good.

RATING: 6 of 7 Radness points
LABEL: 7 of 7 Radness points
PRICE: $3.29
REGION: South Australia
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Haggen

Tisdale Shiraz

For those of you who are familiar with the Northwest, then chances are you've heard of the neighborhood super store 'Fred Meyer'. Within this one-stop shop lies a plethora of cheap wine gems. One of which is the ever so tasty 'Tisdale' Shiraz at the nice price of $2.99. It seems that FM will stock this wine sporadically, and when it is in you have to take advantage because it is one of the better wines for under 5 bucks.

Now, I don't want anybody to get the impression that this blog will go on about what delectable treats would compliment the wine, or every little flavor your tongue might recognize. Because really, all red wine goes well with chocolate, pastas, meats, french toast, hamburgers, and anything else under the sun. In my opinion white wine doesn't really go well with anything, except fish I guess... The truth is, I'm here to tell ya what wines under 7 dollars taste good and what to expect.

The Tisdale Shiraz is relatively smooth despite its high dose of sulfites and lack of time to mature. The fact is it's cheap, and it'll get ya drunk! The label is nothing special, so don't try and impress your date with your frugal selection. Your best bet would be to pour this sucker in a carafe and offer it up with a nice heady meal. It simply tastes pretty damn good. It doesn't have much of a bite at the end of your sip (which is something I enjoy), but finishes pretty smooth with not much after taste. Two bottles of this stuff and you're hurtin' tough in the morning.

If you find Tisdale wines at any store wherever it is you may live, you should pick it up; but not the merlot or cab! Do yourself a favor and get the Shiraz, drink it and have fun. Drink it anytime of day, just don't pay more than 4.99 for it or you may be getting ripped off.


Keep drinkin'...

-Carouser


RATING: 5 of 7 Radness points
LABEL: 2 of 7 Radness points
PRICE: $2.99
REGION: California
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Fred Meyer